


Knowledge Is the Right of all Sentient Beings

by Dontgotone



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Dubious Consent, M/M, Tactile Sexual Interfacing, Teaching, Transformers Spark Bonds
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-18
Updated: 2016-12-18
Packaged: 2018-09-09 13:16:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8892214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dontgotone/pseuds/Dontgotone
Summary: Thundercracker's loyalty is to the Decepticon cause.But when he sees the blatant misuse of fellow flight frames on the other side of the war, he takes it on himself to teach them about their heritage and themselves.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Originally intended as a fill for the livejournal TF Kink Meme.  
> Despite the use of the term "Flightling", all characters are adults.  
> This interpretation of the aerialbots are considered to have been raised during the war, in the autobot ranks, while Thundercracker's older and was part of society with other flyers.

It was obvious they were gifted. That they managed to keep up with the seekers at all with nothing but their instincts was proof of that. But it was just as obvious that the Autobots were doing everything they could to stifle those prodigies, as well. Not for the first time, Thundercracker seethed as he saw the aerialbots pull back from a confrontation, just so they could keep an eye out for the retreating grounders.

"--undercracker, I said we've been ordered back. There's no merit to the chase. Are you listening to me-"

The fury in the blue coated seeker's eyes was enough to make Starscream shut up, even earning a bit of approving clapping from Skywarp. The Flight Commander rolled his optics once he'd collected himself, opening his comm channel. "Megatron? Yes. We're returning shortly. Thundercracker is... Thundercracker has volunteered to scout our retreat to ensure no retaliation."

The seeker barely took the time to send warm thanks over his commander's channel, transforming and bursting to top speed towards the retreating Autobots. If he'd only been pursuing those younglings, he might have had a hard time catching up. As it was, however, they were slowed by their compatriots. They clearly wanted to Soar, not simply limp along in the air, and yet they stayed so low to the ground, performing the same boring patterns over, and over, and over. 

Thundercracker watched them from afar for almost a joor, his anger only getting more and more heated. Each time one of the flying frames began to take joy in his flying, each time they experimented, pushed themselves, or just lost themselves in their birthright... Every time there was an encrypted data burst from the Prime or his second in command, and the guilty flyer would return to his soulless patrol circle, very clearly not enjoying themselves. 

Even if it was for some military tactic, depriving a seeker of the joy of flight was a sin Thundercracker would not let stand. Even Megatron, despite rolling his eyes at the whims of his seekers, allowed his squadrons the freedom they needed to satisfy their instincts. But this? What Prime was doing was nothing short of slow, cruel torture.

The sonic boom that erupted surprised them almost as much as the seeker zooming through their formation, too fast for any of the grounders to do anything before he was out of range. It looked like his plan had worked. The aerialbots, shaken by the physical blow of the wave of sound, and unable to resist the bold, open challenge, took leave of their formation and gave chase. 

On any other day, the five young flight frames would have been too much for Thundercracker to take on all at once. 

But on this day, he was done holding back out of pity.

On this day, he would show them what a true Seeker could do.  
~~~  
It had happened so fast. One moment they were chasing the arrogant seeker (did he really think he could take all five of them on? Nobody was _that_ good), and the next moment all five of them were struggling to keep the playing field even against Thundercracker's assault. Whenever Air Raid thought he had a shot, he either lost sight of the blue coat of paint or found himself needing to dodge the retaliation. 

Above, to the right, below, the more experienced flier seemed to be everywhere, not stopping for a moment. It was impressive, really. And Damn frightening, to think that he'd never shown off this level of flying ability before. But most of all, it was infuriating. Air Raid stopped caring about the little pot shots, after all, Thundercracker could clearly have shot them down already if he'd tried, and poured all he had in his afterburners. 

He didn't really notice how the seeker was mostly shooting at his brothers. Didn't hear Silverbolt over the comms anymore, either. There was just him and that slagging 'Con, who turned and ran the moment Air Raid got anywhere close. Again and again, each time Air Raid thought he had him, the bigger bot would just zoom off, apparently always having more in the tank. 

It went on long enough that by the time Thundercracker flew low and transformed , diving through the canopy, a quick glance at his neglected guidance systems revealed they were far from the rest of the team. Still, he couldn't exactly let the 'Con go so easily, not after chasing him so far. The Seeker didn't seem to be planning on hiding, however, as the moment Air Raid transformed and touched the ground in the dark forest he found himself roughly shoved against a massive three. The giant redwood groaned and creaked under the weight, but held firm, keeping the impetuous flyer pinned face to bark while his foe kept a solid grip on his wrists. 

"Why do you follow the Prime?"

What? This was a fight! There wasn't time to _talk_ ... Although it didn't seem like the seeker was doing much fighting. Other than what he needed to in order to keep Air Raid from breaking free, the bigger jet wasn't doing a lot in the way of violence. Well, if he wouldn't fight , that didn't mean this Autobot was going to give up. He managed to hit something with the back of his head that forced Thundercracker to back off, but it took maybe all of a nano click until he was being clocked in the side of the head by a heavy fist. 

Spitting out some energon and narrowing his optics at the other flier, Air Raid tried to get up from where he'd fallen, but it was pretty difficult to do when the powerful frame of one of Megatron's seekers pressed itself down on you, holding tightly to your wrists. Snarling, the aerialbot tried to buck his hips, to kick the bigger bot off of him, but with an ease that was as impressive as it was infuriating, the blue jet managed straddle him and keep his legs pinned down as effectively as his arms. 

"What in Primus' name are you doing?" 

Thundercracker took his time answering, looking down at his captive with what could only be condescension. When he finally spoke, it was so quiet that Air Raid barely heard it even though the decepticon had taken the pain of moving so close their lips were almost touching. 

"You and I are going to have a conversation, Little One. I'm going to teach, you and you _will_ learn. But I have to know how much your heritage has been squandered, first. Tell me: Why do you follow the Prime?"

Air Raid struggled some more, but it only confirmed his situation. The grip on his wrists held fast, and the way his waist was straddled there was no using his legs to get out of this. In light of that... he figured he may as well answer Thundercracker's questions. Maybe he'd distract him long enough to get free. 

"It's like Optimus always says. Freedom is the right of all sentient beings. Which means making sure none of you decepticreeps enslave the eartlets. "

The seeker looked ... Surprised? Annoyed? Whatever it was, he shook off that first reaction and gave his captive another smug smirk. And then he was moving in wayyy too close again, chest plate pressing firmly against his own before he spoke. 

"Is that right? Well, I suppose that's why your side's the one who allows your flyers to enjoy their gifts. To experiment and soar to their heart's content. To follow their instincts when they need to, and allow downtime away from battle in order to rest. I'm sure the Prime is the one who tells you to ensure your code's needs are sated, so they won't distract you in combat or flight?" 

Air Raid really wanted to be angry at the accusations.. but it wasn't like they were false. Snarling, he turned his head, trying to come up with a good comeback. Thundercracker's hand left his wrist and grabbed his chin, forcing eye contact once again. Something about the grip, about the weight of the seeker on his frame, was starting to feel less oppressive, and more... Warm. He didn't really have any other word for it, just... Warmth. It must have shown on his face since the decepticon's optics widened in surprise... And then narrowed again, barely contained fury evident on those handsome features.

"Flightling, have you not yet formed a flock with your fellow fliers?"

"A... What?" 

The force of the palm striking the seeker's head would have rattled Air Raid, the bigger bot standing up and getting off of him. The Autobot took the chance to stand as well, but he didn't move to fly away. He was curious, about the heat inside, but mostly about the 'flock'. He and the other aerialbots didn't exactly have anyone to talk to about flier frame things, and nothing seemed to be in the records of the kinds of lifestyles fliers had before the war, either. His previous anger was buried by a tugging in his spark towards the bigger bot and a burning curiosity.

Lost in thought, as well as in his sudden admiration for the way the treetop filtered sunlight glinted off of Thundercracker's wings, Air Raid was completely taken aback when he was pushed up against one of the massive trees. A hand kept his shoulder in check and the other was on his hip, but it wasn't exactly a fighting grip. 

"Listen up and listen well." 

The seeker's voice was quiet but powerful. Not the tone of an enemy, but rather that of a teacher. Stern. The force within it made a current surge through Air Raid's frame, the heat inside more noticeable, pulsing now. 

"A flier's first allegiance is to his flock. His spark and body belong to them. They are his strength, his home, his skies. Loyalty to the flock comes before all else, and in return, they will protect and care for their own... I take it none of you knew... none of you understood the bond, reaching out. Optimus would keep you blind to the truth, keep you loyal to him first, before your brothers." 

Air Raid couldn't believe that it was a lie. Not with how angry the decepticon seemed to be. The intensity in his optics... not directed at Air Raid himself, but rather _for_ him. That surge of heat flowed through him again, and this time, a gasp of surprise escaped him. Thundercracker's body moved against his own, no longer pinning , but rather supporting. He could distinctly feel a tugging in his mind, towards the seeker. 

"I'll show you the bond you're missing ." 

The digits that ran up his sides made Air Raid gasp and rise on the tip of his feet, and then Thundercracker's lips pressed against his own, smothering his protests. The blue jet's digits continued caressing his frame, earning more muffled noises from the young flier, moving from chest plate to side to hip. Up his back, and then... 

Oh. 

Ooooh.

Air Raid's optics showed him nothing but static when agile knowing fingers slid over the edges of his wings, and he gripped at his 'teacher' 's shoulders in order to make sure he wouldn't fall. The joints in his knees felt like they were melting, the heat surging inside of him when Thundercracker pressed harder against him, securing him to the tree. The Autobot was so distracted, he startled when he realized his lips had been freed and the keening sound he could hear was coming from himself. 

It all seemed to amuse the decepticon since he continued to run his fingers back and forth along the ridges of his wings. The more he did it, the more Air Raid's systems focused on the sensation. It was almost as if everything else was shutting down, concentrating every bit of processing power into that contact. He could feel something inside of him, building, ready to burst. The heat in his chest, between his legs, was like nothing he'd ever felt. 

"Now, a bond needn't be made like this, intimacy and trust are what matter." 

The Autobot wasn't listening, only shuddered as a single finger delicately ran over the edge of his wing. Thundercracker was slowing down, just as that heat inside threatened to burst out. Again his lips were taken, and this time, Air Raid's glossa slid out to meet the invading decepticon's own, dancing and sending fierce signals between the metal. Each touch or swipe felt so intense Air Raid felt certain the sparks would be visible. 

He was starting to calm down, to be able to think amidst the heat and pressure again... and then Thundercracker pulled his head back, grinned, and gripped at his wings with both hands. The way he moved his fingers, the caress of his palms, the deliberate motions that seemed to come from someone who knew his body even better than Air Raid himself... It all flowed into that ball of heat in his spark, that mass at his core. He felt it surge, spreading through his systems and knocking everything offline for just a moment. 

The current forced it's path through him, feeling like death and rebirth as his systems tried to cope, and Air Raid felt that invisible force near him, tugging towards him, towards Thundercracker. He dove into that link, that sensation of warmth that wrapped around his senses, that strong, powerful presence that kept him safe while his diagnostics and other systems rebooted. 

He was still in a daze by the time Thundercracker sat him on the ground, the bigger bot sitting next to him and letting the stunned Autobot lean against his frame. Fingers that had teased and stroked earlier now pet and cradled, the careful touches sending aftershocks through his tactile circuits, still raw from the overload. 

"Does that mean we're... This is.. this is nice." 

Thundercracker was a dirty decepticon, of course. An enemy soldier. One that routinely tried to shoot him down, or flaunted his superior skills... but Air Raid couldn't be angry at him. Not when he felt the stately presence supporting him. Not when he could feel that invisible tangle between them, the pure strength that radiated all around him, held him, comforted him. There was something else, there, too. A part of Thundercracker that stretched somewhere else. He was too tired to really reach for it, his cheek laying against the other bot's chest plate. Thundercracker continued to pet him, to hold him. It all made it so very difficult to keep himself awake. 

"No, Flightling, we're not bonded. Well, it's begun, but it takes a lot more than that to solidify a bond. This is just to show you how. So you can show the others." 

The heat that flushed Air Raid's face made him dizzy, but it also woke him up. "W-whoa, we're not like that at all! We're... We're all batch brothers." 

He turned his head to look up at the decepticon, but all that got him was a flick to the forehead. 

"As I said, no need for... all this. Intimacy, time, and a focus on the other. That's what creates a flock's bond. I just wanted to... hmm... show you the fastest way there."

Energy reserves low and half his systems still in the process of rebooting, Air Raid closed his optics, mumbling an affirmative. He grabbed the hand that had been petting him, and pulled it down, nestling closer into the seeker's body as he allowed his systems to shut down, just for a few cycles. Just to let himself float lazily in that bond, that warmth.


End file.
